Machine for cutting barrel-veneers.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

F. THORNTON. MACHINE FOR GUTTING BARREL VENBERS.

APPLIOATIOI FILED OCT. 22, 1906.

[NVENTOR/ WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BARREL-VENEERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed October 22,1906. Serial No. 340,012,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I FREDERICK THORN- TON, a citizen of the United States of'America, and. a resident of Huntington, county of Cabell, State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Barrel-Veneers, of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in-which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a completed barrel made from one of the veneers cut by my apparatus; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a log showing the manner of applying my improved knife and presser bar thereto; Fig. 3 a detail View of the knife; Fig. 4 a detail end view showing the position-of, the knife and presser bar with respect to the stock; and Figs. 5 and 6 detail views showing the bit for trimming the edge of the blank and cutting the croze.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and. ei'licient means for cutting from a rotating log a veneer of such shape that when out into lengths and dried the blanks or lengths will curl naturally in such manner that when the edges of the blanks are brought together the cylinder thereby formed will have the usual bilge shape of a barrel, suitable cutter devices being employed to bevel or trim the edges of the blank and cut the croze at the same time the veneer is cut, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Heretofore it has been attempted to cut veneer barrel blanks from a log by means of y a knife curved transversely so that the veneer will be curved in the same manner and when dried will curl up in convenient shape for forming a bilge barrel but this method. has been found impracticable in view of the fact that the curvature of the edge of the blade is such that the knife tends to gradually increase the thickness of the veneer whereby thecutting apparatus soon becomes choked. In this old method the concave side of the knife is presented to the stock. In my apparatus and method I employ a flat straight knife a but curve the cutting edge from one end to the other of the knife and downwardly toward its middle, the bevel of the cutting edge being toward the log and the knife being supported at a point below its center. The presser bar b has its upper edge curved to correspond with the knife edge, and mounted upon this presser bar is a pair of bits 0 which are adjustable along the length of the bar in order that the width of the veneer may be varied.

The bits are constructed in any suitable manner that will insure the proper trimming and beveling of the edge of the blank and the formation of the croze. shown a trimming and beveling cutting edge 0 is formed at the outer edge of the bit and a gougelike cutting edge 0 is formed at the other end of the bit bar. A suitable bolt 0 may be employed for rigidly locking the bit to its adjusted point on the presser bar, the head of this bolt engaging a suitable dovetail or undercut groove in the under edge of the presser bar.

In the form of bit In operation, the log will be first trimmed down into an oval or bilge shape, as shown in Fig. 2, and then the cutting of the veneer proper is commenced. As stated, this curvature of the surface of the log and the veneer is obtained by downwardly curving the edge of the cutter blade and mounting it so that it shall engage the log at a suitable point below its longitudinal center. The knife is supported in a horizontal position with both its flat faces vertical, so that all tendency of the knife to go deeper into the log than set is avoided. The veneer as it is out passes down between the knife and presser bar in the usual manner and is drawn horizontally away from the log in the usual manner. The veneer being soft and pliable lies out flat on the supporting table, as shown in Fig. 2, and before it dries it is cut into lengths suitable for the diameter of the barrel that is to be made from each blank. As the blanks dry it is found that they curl up in a direction opposite to thecurvature of the log, so that the croze is brought on the interior surface of the barrel when the edges of the blank are brought together.

It will be observed that my invention is not confined to the details of construction shown and described. For instance, instead of sup porting the knife below the center of the log it may be supported in line therewith or nearly in line and somewhat tilted toward the log, the angle of the tilt being determined by the degree of curvature given to the edge of the blade and the desired thickness of. the veneer and the depth of the bilge. Again the chamfering and croze cutters need not be located on the presser-bar but may be located elsewhere, as for instance, at the opposite side of the log upon a suitable carriage.

Having thus fully describedmy invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Means for cutting veneer barrel blanks embodying a straight flat veneer lathe knife having its upper edge sharpened to a cutting edge and curving downwardly from both ends toward its middle.

2. Means for cutting abarrel blank veneer embodying a straight flat veneer lathe knife having its upper edge sharpened to a cutting edge and curved downwardly toward its middle from both its ends, the bevel of the cutting edge facing the log and engaging it at a point below its longitudinal center.

3. An apparatus for cutting a longitudi- FREDERICK THORNTON.

Witnesses GEo. L. MILLER, M. J. FERGUSON. 

